gentleman died; had cut the shop, got on the commission, and now
rejoiced in a fat, jolly, good-tempered wife, and a multiplicity of sons
and daughters. Such a fellow for points of law was never heard of out of
Westminster Hall, nor in it either. He read Acts of Parliament as other
people read novels--for his amusement; and every body thought he knew
more about them than a lord chancellor. There was great rejoicing at
Howkey, from the drawing-room up to the very nursery, when I told of
Frank Edwards's arrival. All manner of enquiries were made, in various
tones of interest, from the romantic Miss Sibylla down to the youngest
of the girls, as to his appearance, manner, height, and complexion. I
answered them all to the extreme satisfaction of the enquirers, but took
care to make no allusion to his companion; though, at the same time, I
confess I could not persuade myself that what I had overheard had the
dreadful meaning I at first attached to it. He must have meant something
else; for I had not become acquainted with the new style of flash
language, where so many allusions are made to people's mothers and their
mangles, without any real reference either to one or other. Getting a
man murdered in a shooting-box might mean something equivalent to "There
you go, with your eye out!" which has no meaning at all. But although I
had persuaded myself of this, I made no mention at Howkey of the
ferocious-looking Percy Marvale, but merely asked my friend Old Smith to
come over, and help me to welcome the new neighbour. Sibylla, who had
all along been of opinion that Mr Frank Edwards was engaged to his
tutor's daughter, and took no interest in him accordingly, was all of a
sudden seized with an uncommon affection for my wife. She felt for the
awkwardness of her position so much in being the only lady among so many
gentlemen, that she insisted on going over with her father, merely to
bear her company; and, from the sympathizing countenance of her fair
sister Monimia, I expected every moment a similar offer from her. The
Williamses, and old Harry Lambert and his son, were the only others I